English Reference
verb

reassure

v.
US /ˌɹiəˈʃʊɹ/ UK /ɹˌiːəʃjˈɔː/ re·as·sure UK spelling reassured, reassures

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    to say something kind or helpful to someone so they stop worrying.

    to restore confidence or remove doubt by providing comfort or confirmation. Transitive; requires a direct object, usually a person.

    Simple

    The doctor smiled to reassure the patient before the operation started.

    In context

    The CEO spent the morning meeting with staff to reassure them that their jobs were secure despite the recent merger.

    Pitfall
    He reassured that everything would be fine. He reassured me that everything would be fine.

    Reassure is a transitive verb that needs a person as the object before the 'that' clause.

    alarmunsettlediscourage
  2. 02 C2 Proficiency Technical

    to provide insurance for an insurance company.

    to reinsure; to provide additional insurance coverage for a risk already insured. Technical usage in the insurance industry.

    Simple

    The company had to reassure its largest policies to protect against huge losses.

    In context

    In high-risk markets, primary insurers often seek to reassure their liabilities through global secondary markets to maintain solvency.

    reinsure

His sons tried to reassure him, saying: "Dad, stay calm.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

And that’s it.” Hinting Arsenal’s busy close-season transfer activity has been his priority instead of the contract, Arteta reassured supporters not to fret.

Al Jazeera· 15 Aug 2026

From Old French rasseürer (French rassurer), from re- + asseürer; as if re- + assure.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old French rasseürer
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated